England legend James Anderson says he is “sad” and “shocked” by his release by Lancashire and has not decided whether to continue his career at another county.
Speaking at length on the Tailenders podcast for the first time since being told he will not have his Lancashire contract renewed, the 44-year-old said the decision made him question whether is “something fundamentally wrong with me as a person”.
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Anderson, England’s leading wicket-taker and a Lancashire legend, took 50 wickets in the County Championship and served as captain last season but he was told by Lancashire’s new hierarchy they want to build an attack for the future.
“I went in for what I thought was a conversation about how the team moves forward,” Anderson said.
“It wasn’t a great year for the team. Being captain I thought it was chat about that.
“A couple of minutes in I realised it wasn’t a conversation. I was being told they thought the best way for the team to move forward was without me.
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“I was quite shocked. It was quite brief.”
Lancashire’s decision was made by their incoming director of cricket Paul Farbrace, who held a meeting with Anderson and Lancashire’s new chief executive Richard Kenyon.
Despite Anderson’s wickets, the club finished second bottom in Division Two of the County Championship.
In 2024, England also chose to move on from their record wicket-taker in similar circumstances as they attempted to refresh and build an attack for the 2025-26 Ashes in Australia.
“All of the way through the season myself and the head coach were like ‘is it something we are doing? Could we be doing more to help the team?'” Anderson said.
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“I finished the season thinking ‘was it something I did? Was I doing something wrong?’ – and then I get this news.
“Now I am thinking that even more.
“I am thinking ‘this is happening again. Is there something fundamentally wrong with me as a person?’ Your head just sort of races.
“I wanted to see my career out with Lancs.
“I don’t know if my career is done, we will have to wait and see, but it would be nice at some point if someone would let me retire.”
The decision has angered Lancashire members and was criticised for being “pretty disrespectful” by Anderson’s former England bowling partner Stuart Broad, who said it showed a lack of leadership given the veteran was not given a farewell.
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Anderson first played List A cricket in 2000 as a 17-year-old for the Lancashire Cricket Board against Suffolk.
In addition to his 911 international wickets – an England record and a record for all pace bowlers – Anderson claimed 443 first-class scalps for Lancashire, along with 83 in List A cricket and a further 50 in T20s.
It is understood other counties are interested in signing the bowler, who turns 45 next summer.
He joked he “wouldn’t have thought” he could play for Lancashire’s historic rivals Yorkshire, but on his future added: “I am still trying to process everything and weigh up the best way forward for me.
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“It has been 10 days since it happened.
“I am starting to get excited about the future, whether it is something different or playing cricket again. It is exciting.
“There are exciting challenges ahead. I have to attack it like that and not dwell too much on how or why it finished at Lancs.”
He added: “I am sad the way it ended with the club I supported as a kid but now I have thought about it I am quite excited for the future.
“I am always going to support Lancashire.
“I was born there, grew up watching them, had some of my most memorable days out with dad watching them, got to play for them and captain the club, which is something most people dream about.
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“I feel like I have a special connection with the club and will always support them.”
